Secret Monkey Weekend

"Secret Monkey Weekend is made up of three distinct characters. When I first met Lila, she was so shy she could barely look at me, but even then, she had a confidence behind her drum kit that contradicted this apparent shyness. On the other hand, Ella was look-you-in-the-eye confident from the first time I met her, and she has pushed herself to learn everything she can about music. I had known Jefferson for decades, but not well. I wasn’t prepared for his tremendous talent as a writer, player, and singer, nor his quiet, positive, egalitarian approach to creating this band.

These three individuals have combined to make a collective something I love. A family band. A band that has grown literally and figuratively in front of my eyes over the past few years. And now they’ve got all these great songs and they’ve let me help them make an excellent album." - Don Dixon.

"Jeff’s guitar and songwriting skills made starting a group with his adopted daughters, Ella and Lila Brown, a natural—he’s been a driving force in Americana music in North Carolina since the 1980s. Live, they cut a confident profile, locked together musically like a jigsaw puzzle. They’ve played every gig they can, from school carnivals in North Carolina to pubs in England. Along the way, they’ve written some very cool tunes. Secret Monkey Weekend songs are smart, simple, and summery, with great grooves like “Honey Num” that feel cozy and familiar, or maybe a tune like “Maybelle” that moves your feet before you know it. Make no mistake: this is a BAND record. In seven years together, SMW’s focus has been to become ready to record an album. So they’ve become tight, intense and proficient, and have created All the Time in the World, the solid and sterling debut album by Secret Monkey Weekend." - Peter Holsapple - the dB’s, Continental Drifters.

"The best rock and roll is made by kids. Elvis was 18 when he recorded “That’s All Right”. Paul McCartney was 16 when he wrote “Love Me Do”. Tommy Stinson was 14 at the time of The Replacements’ debut. There is something to be said about the innocence and idealism we all had at that age, and Secret Monkey Weekend has captured that spirit, harnessed and put it all on tape, with the help of legendary producer and musician Don Dixon.

I never thought I would hear a band that sounded like a teenage girl fronting NRBQ, but this is it, and wow, did I need this in my life! Fascist Blood Baby, Honey Num, and Greater Mind To Walk Away are all songs that I hold close, and I have a feeling you will too. It’s that good! Rock and Roll made by teenagers (and Jefferson) for the world is as beautiful as you can imagine. Like ABBA once sang Thank You For The Music." - Jonathan Scott - The Doleful Lions.

Learn more at https://secretmonkeyweekend.com/

Ettore Buzzini Band

Imagine if Earl Scruggs, Led Zeppelin, and Chopin got together for an improvised jam on stage: it might sound something like young Swiss-American songwriting and banjo prodigy Ettore Buzzini's driving groove. To the casual listener, Ettore's sound is simply hard-driving Bluegrass. But anyone who listens a little more closely will quickly notice that Ettore’s virtuosic music intersects the iconic acoustic sounds of Americana, youthful energy and hard drive of pop-rock, and epic romantic emotions of classical music.

Ettore (pronounced like “Letter-A”) is bringing a decidedly GenAlpha take on traditional Bluegrass, rooted in tradition, but with a innovative, colorful playing style that is irresistibly distinct, and a songwriting style completely outside the mainstream. Haunting lyrics, vivid imagery and epic-sounding compositions are the foundation of songs like “Ragnarok”, his original song about a young warrior ready to fight the ultimate battle; and “Birth of Eros”, an instrumental banjo symphony about a soul in purgatory who finds hope in love. This unique, fresh style, a product of his Euro-American roots, is bringing new attention to the genre from GenAlpha.

Multi-award winning Ettore's star is soaring as he takes the Folk-Americana scene by storm, sweeping contest awards and garnering praise and invitations from all corners of the Folk-Americana-Bluegrass world. With festivals, television, and venue shows coming throughout summer and fall 2025, you won't want to miss the opportunity to say “I saw him before…”

Learn more at https://ettorebuzzini.com/